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It is very simple. If you suffer from high blood pressure (above 140/90mm Hg) and your sodium intake is considerable, your blood pressure rises even more. You c

It is very simple. If you suffer from high blood pressure (above 140/90mm Hg) and your sodium intake is considerable, your blood pressure rises even more. You can easily set up a study with a control group and test it repeatedly, the results will be the same. However, the mitigating factor is potassium. If you consume an adequate amount of foods rich in potassium, the negative effect of sodium on your blood pressure is neutralized somehow. The exact behaviors depend on the amounts of each. And here's the problem: in salt, sodium is very concentrated. You would have to eat a large amount of foods considered rich in potassium, such as tomatoes, in order to neutralize a teaspoon of salt.

sithadmin 5y ago
You don’t even have to have high blood pressure for above ‘normal’ (~2000mg/day) salt intake to create the effect. It’s observable in people with normal blood pressure as well, and pronounced in a subset of the population with a gene that appears to worsen the effect. The potassium factor is why many doctors often recommend sea/himalayan salt — these salts usually have a bunch of other minerals, including potassium. For anyone wondering, no, it’s not a good idea to try to self medicate the combination of high blood pressure + a sodium heavy diet with potassium supplements. Do it wrong and you’ll end up with hyperkalemia, which is both very uncomfortable and potentially life-threatening.
- unmole 5y ago
  > doctors often recommend sea/himalayan salt Himalayan salt is 99% sodium chloride and doesn't contain significant potassium to make a difference. Someone recommending it as a healthier alternative should not be taken seriously.
  - sithadmin 5y ago
    The sodium content can be that high, but it's certainly not universal. The brand I use is only around 40%.
    - unmole 5y ago
      You can buy low sodium salt. The Himalayan part has nothing to do with it.
kevin_thibedeau 5y ago
> If you suffer from high blood pressure People who already have a disease that requires salt regulation doesn't prove any causative role.
danaris 5y ago
> If you suffer from high blood pressure (above 140/90mm Hg) and your sodium intake is considerable, your blood pressure rises even more. You can easily set up a study with a control group and test it repeatedly, the results will be the same. How do you square this with jonasmerlin's sibling post of a Scientific American article, pointing out that the foundations of this belief do not stand on rigorous science?
- hdjjhhvvhga 5y ago
  That article focuses not on the mechanics of action (increase of sodium intake -> higher blood pressure), and doesn't question the fact that reducing salt intake lowers blood pressure somewhat (albeit not by a significant amount), but that at a global level reducing salt intake in populations does not reduce overall mortality from heart-related conditions. There might be many confounding factors at play. As the authors say, every study about negative effects of salt can be offset by an opposing one, so it is definitely something to be studied in more depth.

sithadmin 5y ago

You don’t even have to have high blood pressure for above ‘normal’ (~2000mg/day) salt intake to create the effect. It’s observable in people with normal blood pressure as well, and pronounced in a subset of the population with a gene that appears to worsen the effect. The potassium factor is why many doctors often recommend sea/himalayan salt — these salts usually have a bunch of other minerals, including potassium. For anyone wondering, no, it’s not a good idea to try to self medicate the combination of high blood pressure + a sodium heavy diet with potassium supplements. Do it wrong and you’ll end up with hyperkalemia, which is both very uncomfortable and potentially life-threatening.

unmole 5y ago
> doctors often recommend sea/himalayan salt Himalayan salt is 99% sodium chloride and doesn't contain significant potassium to make a difference. Someone recommending it as a healthier alternative should not be taken seriously.
- sithadmin 5y ago
  The sodium content can be that high, but it's certainly not universal. The brand I use is only around 40%.
  - unmole 5y ago
    You can buy low sodium salt. The Himalayan part has nothing to do with it.

kevin_thibedeau 5y ago

> If you suffer from high blood pressure People who already have a disease that requires salt regulation doesn't prove any causative role.

danaris 5y ago

> If you suffer from high blood pressure (above 140/90mm Hg) and your sodium intake is considerable, your blood pressure rises even more. You can easily set up a study with a control group and test it repeatedly, the results will be the same. How do you square this with jonasmerlin's sibling post of a Scientific American article, pointing out that the foundations of this belief do not stand on rigorous science?

hdjjhhvvhga 5y ago
That article focuses not on the mechanics of action (increase of sodium intake -> higher blood pressure), and doesn't question the fact that reducing salt intake lowers blood pressure somewhat (albeit not by a significant amount), but that at a global level reducing salt intake in populations does not reduce overall mortality from heart-related conditions. There might be many confounding factors at play. As the authors say, every study about negative effects of salt can be offset by an opposing one, so it is definitely something to be studied in more depth.